Women&#39;s undergarment

ABSTRACT

A breast support garment including a band of elastic material dimensioned to form a shelf beneath a user&#39;s breasts. The sides of the band are shaped to extend from the front chest portion to a rear back portion and to meet at the back. The support garment has a two side shoulder straps each connected to said band of material from the front in vertical alignment with a user&#39;s shoulder and connected to said band of material from the rear in vertical alignment with the user&#39;s shoulder. This support garment may include a unitary underpant portion.

CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 61/289,011, filed Dec. 22, 2009.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a woman's undergarment, and more particularly, to a woman's support garment that provides support for a women's breasts.

BACKGROUND

A support undergarment that provides support for a woman's breasts is desired.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

One embodiment is directed to a breast support garment including a band of elastic material dimensioned to form a shelf beneath a user's breasts. The sides of the band are shaped to extend from the front chest portion to a rear back portion and to meet at the back. The support garment has two-side shoulder straps each connected to said band of material from the front in vertical alignment with a user's shoulder and connected to said band of material from the rear in vertical alignment with the user's shoulder. The band forming a shelf below the user's breasts may include an upper and lower portion. In one embodiment the band and shoulder starts are a contiguous material. This support garment may include a unitary underpant portion. The garment may also include clips for attaching the support band to a brassiere.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front views of an embodiment featuring a band pulled away and twisted down from brassiere cups of a strapless brassiere and including an underpant unitary portion.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are front views of an embodiment featuring a band pulled away and twisted down from brassiere cups of a brassiere having straps and including the underpant unitary portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment showing the shelf of the band (may be an elastic band in a variety of widths) disposed beneath a breast of the user and over a strapless brassiere that the user is wearing and including the underpant/thong unitary portion giving/causing tension to lift the breasts.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment showing the shelf of the band disposed beneath the breasts of a user without a brassiere and including the underpant unitary portion.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are rear views of an embodiment including the underpant unitary portion and a thong.

FIG. 9 is side view of another embodiment featuring a single band configuration and including an underpant unitary portion.

FIG. 10 is a partial front view of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With respect to FIGS. 1-6, the illustrated garment comprises a breast support garment 10 having a band/strap 12 configured to support the breasts. The band 12 typically comprises an elastic material that can stretch. In one embodiment, described below the band is one single piece. In another embodiment the band is comprised of two portions (FIGS. 1-6). A first portion 14 is an upper portion forming a “shelf” upon which a lower portion of each breast rests. A second portion 16 is a lower portion connected to the shelf via stitching 18 (FIG. 5). The two portions extend across the front of the wearer's chest and under a lower portion of each of the breasts all the way around the back (FIG. 7). In one example, the band 12 is about 1½ inches wide with the shelf 14 being about half or less than half as wide. The band may increase in thickness as it extends to the user's back. In another embodiment the shelf 14 is about 1½ inches wide as is the lower portion 16. Other desirable widths may be used and graded depending on cup size.

The band 12 is connected to two shoulder straps 20 and 22 at each side of the breasts (FIGS. 1-7) or, in a preferred embodiment described below with regard to FIG. 8, the band is continuous with the shoulder straps. In one embodiment, while the breast support garment is pulled upwardly by shoulder straps, the breast support garment including the band is tensioned downwardly by a underpant unitary portion 24 connected to the lower portion of the band and comprising some form of connected underwear such as a thong 26 (FIGS. 4, 7). Such an arrangement helps eliminate “bra-bulge” or back fat issues. The underpant unitary portion may comprise shapewear 40 known in the art having a lower thong portion 26 or other desirable underwear portion such as a full panty. The shapewear and lower thong portion may come in standard small, medium, or large sizes. The shapewear may have a connection mechanism such as a hook at the thong portion. The key to the upper back part of the shapewear that runs across the mid-back sections is that its smooth fabric covers the hook/eye of the chosen bra that the woman would wear with the breast support garment and shapewear. Thus the garment, with the underpant/thong unitary portion or shapewear described below, lifts, shapes and covers the clasp in the back of the user's bra and eliminates not only the clasp showing thru a shirt but bra bulge as well. The breast support garment may be worn with a brassiere 27, in which case the band may be worn over or just beneath the brassiere and the shoulder straps may be worn over the brassiere. Links may be used to connect the breast support garment to the brassiere. Alternatively, the breast support garment 10 may be worn without a brassiere as seen in FIG. 6.

In another embodiment, a breast support garment 28 includes a band/strap 30 comprising a single strap of material for added tension and support (FIGS. 9 and 10). The single band acts as the “shelf” where it is disposed underneath each breast and extends across the chest and around the back of the user. The single piece of material rounds each side of the breast and goes over the shoulder to form shoulder straps, only one of which, strap. 32, is seen. The shoulder straps and the side portions meet in an “L” configuration. The band 30 is for example about 1½ inches wide beneath the breasts. Other desirable widths may be used. The single strap of material of the breast support garment may be connected to an underpant unitary portion 36, as described above, or may just include the band and shoulder strap and side portions.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the breast support garment 28 is a single continuous band/piece of material including band/strap 30 that is continuous with shoulder straps 32 (FIGS. 8-10) and a back strap, such as back strap 38 seen in FIG. 8. Thus, the breast support garment including band/strap 30, shoulder straps and back straps is comprised of one single piece of material. This differs from brassieres of the prior art in at least that prior art shoulder straps are separate pieces of material from the rest of the brassiere sewn or connected together. Further, in this embodiment there are no strap adjustment mechanisms. Additionally, the breast support garment 28 is connected to a thong unitary portion 24 (FIG. 8). The breast support garment 28 provides appropriate tensioning of the band/strap 30 including the shelf 50. While the breast support garment is pulled upwardly by should straps the breast support garment including the band is tensioned downwardly by the thong 26 of the thong unitary portion to provide a desirous lift to the breasts. The thong unitary portion typically comprises shapewear or bodice 40 having a thong 26. The shapewear including a body portion and a lower thong may be comprised of a material of shapewear known in the art. For example, it may be lace or lace-like or it may include an elastic material such as Lycra. In one example, the band/strap 30 is 3 inches wide. The shoulder straps 32 and back strap 38 may be the same or different width as the band/strap 30. The band/strap 30 may increase or decrease in width as it extends to the back strap. Other desirable widths may be used. Widths may be graded according to a user's cup size. Thus, the larger a user's cup size, the larger the width. The thong unitary portion 24 may come in standard small, medium or large sizes.

The breast support garment of the present invention may be made in various sizes and from any desired material but preferably is made of a material being elastic or having some elasticity. For example materials such as cotton or polyester having elasticity or an elastic band disposed within them may be used. Lycra may be used. 

1. A breast support garment comprising: a band of material having elasticity and dimensioned to form a shelf beneath a user's breasts on a front chest portion of the user and having sides shaped to extend from the front chest portion to a rear back portion and to meet at the back; and first and second shoulder straps each connected to said band of material from a respective front location on said band of material in vertical alignment with a corresponding shoulder of the user and connected to said band of material from a respective rear location on said band of material in vertical alignment with a corresponding shoulder of said user.
 2. The breast support garment of claim 1 wherein said shelf comprises an upper portion and a lower portion connected by stitching.
 3. The breast support garment of claim 1 wherein said band of material and said shoulder straps are contiguous.
 4. The breast support garment of claim 3 wherein an “L” configuration is formed between each shoulder strap and corresponding side strap.
 5. The breast support garment of claim 1 further comprising an underpant unitary portion connected to the band.
 6. The breast support garment of claim 1 further comprising clips for connection to a brassiere worn by the user.
 7. The breast support garment of claim 1 further comprising a system having a traditional brassiere worn by the user and clips by which the breast support garment is connected to the brassiere.
 8. A breast support garment comprising: a single piece band having a front portion and side portions configured to meet at a rear portion of the band and a pair of shoulder straps; and an underpant unitary portion connected to the band.
 9. The breast support garment of claim 8, further comprising clips for connection to a bra.
 10. A breast support garment comprising: a two-piece band connected by stitching, an upper portion of said band configured to form a shelf for a user's breasts and a lower portion connected to an underpant unitary portion.
 11. A breast support garment of claim 10 further comprising clips for connection to a bra.
 12. A breast support garment comprising: a band of material encasing the chest, a front portion of said band configured to form a shelf beneath a user's breasts thereby supporting the user's breasts, said band extending over a side of each breast and the corresponding shoulder to a rear portion of the band forming two shoulder straps; and an underpant unitary portion connected to the band whereby while the breast support garment is pulled upwardly by the shoulder straps, the breast support garment including the band is tensioned downwardly by the underpant unitary portion.
 13. A woman's undergarment comprising: a breast support garment comprised of a single continuous band of elastic material having a front strap configured to form a shelf underneath a user's breast, shoulder straps continuous with said front strap and a rear strap continuous with said front strap and said shoulder straps, said straps configured to encase a user's breasts; and a thong unitary portion comprising shapewear and a thong connectable/connected in the crotch/pelvis area to secure the garment in place with for example, a hook and eye connection mechanism, allowing the shapewear to fit smooth and tight in the abdominal area below the built-in shelf/one continuous strap.
 14. A woman's undergarment comprising: a brassiere frame having a chest encircling portion a front portion of which forms a front breast shelf and said brassiere frame having two shoulder straps being comprised of a single continuous band of elastic material and lacking brassiere cups and a front central frame portion; and a thong unitary portion comprising a shapewear body portion and a thong, said thong unitary portion connected to said chest encircling portion. 